Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2025
This bill expands certain health professional programs and Medicare covered services to include physical therapists.
Specifically, the bill expands the National Health Service Corps to include physical therapists and provides for the designation of specific health professional target areas for physical therapists under the program. The bill also expands covered services of rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers under Medicare to include physical therapy services.
The bill increases funds for FY2025 for the corps and requires a certain amount of funds to be used for student loan repayments for participating physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5621 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5621
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation
of physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps Loan
Repayment program, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to
expand Medicare Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified
Health Center Services to include physical therapy services, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 30, 2025
Ms. DeGette (for herself and Mr. Griffith) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and
in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation
of physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps Loan
Repayment program, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to
expand Medicare Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified
Health Center Services to include physical therapy services, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Physical Therapist
Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2025''.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
(1) Physical therapists play an important role in the
prevention, treatment, or management of pain for individuals,
including those with substance use disorders, or at risk of
developing a substance use disorder.
(2) Physical therapists are also playing an important role
in the physical rehabilitation needs of individuals who have
developed chronic health conditions as a result of COVID-19.
(3) Physical therapist services are an essential component
of the multidisciplinary undertaking that will be required to
improve patient access and outcomes in medically underserved
areas.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS; PARTICIPATION OF PHYSICAL
THERAPISTS IN LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.
(a) Mission of Corps; Definition of Primary Health Services.--
Section 331(a)(3)(D) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
254d(a)(3)(D)) is amended by striking ``or mental health,'' and
inserting ``mental health, or physical therapy,''.
(b) Physical Therapy Health Professional Target Areas.--Section 332
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(l) Physical Therapy Health Professional Target Areas.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program
of--
``(A) identifying physical therapy health
professional target areas; and
``(B) assigning members of the Corps who are
physical therapists to such areas.
``(2) Applicable provisions.--The provisions of paragraphs
(1), (2), (3), (4), and (6) of subsection (k) shall apply to
the identification of physical therapy health professional
target areas and the assignment of physical therapists under
this subsection except that--
``(A) references to maternity care health
professional target areas shall be treated as
references to physical therapy health professional
target areas; and
``(B) references to maternity care health
professionals and maternity care shall be treated as
references to physical therapists and physical therapy,
respectively.''.
(c) Loan Repayment Program.--Section 338B of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``physical
therapists,'' after ``dentists,'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``(1)(A) have a degree in'' and all
that follows through the end of subparagraph (A) of
paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1)(A)(i) have a degree in medicine, osteopathic
medicine, dentistry, or another health profession, or an
appropriate degree from a graduate program of behavioral and
mental health;
``(ii) be certified as a nurse midwife, nurse practitioner,
or physician assistant; or
``(iii) have a doctoral or master's degree in physical
therapy;'';
(B) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ``physical
therapy,'' after ``mental health,''; and
(C) in paragraph (1)(C)(ii), by inserting
``physical therapy,'' after ``dentistry,''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Eligibility to Participate in Other Programs.--Nothing in
this section shall be construed to prohibit any health care
professional who is eligible to participate in the program under this
section from participating in any other loan repayment program
established by the Secretary for which such professional is
eligible.''.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PARTICIPATION OF PHYSICAL THERAPISTS IN
THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.
Section 10503(b)(2)(K) of the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act (42 U.S.C. 254b-2(b)(2)(K)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``$172,972,603'' and inserting
``$187,972,603''; and
(2) by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``, provided that of such amount the Secretary shall
use not less than $15,000,000 for making loan repayments for
physical therapists participating in the National Health
Service Corps Loan Repayment Program under section 338B of the
Public Health Service Act''.
SEC. 4. EXPANDING MEDICARE RURAL HEALTH CLINIC SERVICES AND FEDERALLY
QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER SERVICES TO INCLUDE PHYSICAL
THERAPY SERVICES.
(a) In General.--Section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395x(aa)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking at the end
``and'';
(B) in subparagraph (D), by adding ``and'' at the
end; and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the
following new subparagraph:
``(E) such physical therapy services (as defined in
subsection (p)) furnished by a physical therapist,''; and
(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``subparagraphs (A)
through (D)'' and inserting ``subparagraphs (A) through (E)''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to services furnished on or after January 1, 2027.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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